Fan report by Si Owens.

Tonight's was a courageous show for Elton John to undertake. Such is the quality of the current album (Peachtree Road), and such is the pride that Elton and his team take from the record, tonight we were treated to the first eight songs from the album, in order, from the start of the show.

Now, bearing in mind that the last time Elton attempted such an approach was in debuting "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirty" some 29 years ago, and bearing in mind that about one third of that Wembley audience reportedly left the show early, one begins to understand the potential perils that such a gamble may entail. As a punter who was a mere twinkle in his father's eye in 1975, I missed out on that ill-fated event, and thus had no reference point by which to guage the reaction of tonight's audience. However, this performance could only be viewed as a resounding success.

"Weight Of The World" and "Porch Swing In Tupelo" delighted those Elton fans who own a copy of the album, while the more casual listeners responded with an applause which seemed to signify a pleasant surprise that a musical legend of thirty-plus years in the business is still crafting songs of such a fine quality.

"Answer In The Sky" warmed everybody up all the more (the record can't do justice to the power of the live guitar and harmonies), and "Turn The Lights Out When You Leave" sounded a far stronger contender for single release live than on disc.

Again, "My Elusive Drug" seemed to take the casual attendees by surprise with the quality of it's composition and of it's live delivery, while "They Call Her The Cat" takes on a new edge in the live setting.

"Freaks In Love" was well received, while Elton and the Voice Of Atlanta Choir gave a masterful rendition of "All That I'm Allowed". That takes us up to the end of the "Peachtree Road" section of the show.

Notable during this section were superb performances by Guy Babylon during "Weight Of The World" and "My Elusive Drug" - phasing the velocity of the strings louder and softer to great effect. Also notable were consistently impressive contributions from John Mahon on percussion throughout the "Peachtree Road" numbers.

During the first three numbers, Elton's voice cracked ever so slightly, and this was evidently due to an infection that Elton has been carrying recently. It has to be said that despite the performer's many apologies, it was an outstanding vocal performance throughout tonight's concert, especially in the context of a singer suffering from a bug.

Elton then thanked the audience for our patience, although it's hard to figure out why he thanked us. We'd just been thoroughly entertained for last forty-odd minutes, and it seems a strange thing to be thanked for that.

For the remainder of the show, Elton performed much loved hits, well known classics and tried and tested live favourites to hold this capacity audience in the palm of his hand. When I saw Elton live at Wembley with Royal Academy Orchestra and choir, "Border Song" was the stand-out number. The song was probably a fair shout for top number again tonight with the Voice Of Atlanta backing.

Other highlights included a rollicking "Are You Ready For Love", a well-received "Philadelphia Freedom", and an excellent "Take Me To The Pilot". "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" never fails to deliver, and tonight it featured a little more of Guy's strings in the verses than we've used to on recent tours, and this complimented the performance well.

Elton and the guys tonight gave the best live rendition of "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" I've ever heard them do - it had a real energy and a kick to it tonight. And, of course, "Rocket Man" mesmerised us all as it always does - brilliant adaptation.

Elton encored with the much-missed "Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance)" and "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)". There then followed a marathon autograph sweep, followed by an absolutely superb solo performance of "Your Song".

Elton was supported tonight by James Blunt, who played a similar set to the one I heard him do at Ipswich. Blunt performed extremely well tonight and gave us a very entertaining half an hour. Blunt's backing band are a superb bunch of musicians who have that sought-after knack of playing exactly the right parts to compliment the songs. The drummer in particularly puts thought into every beat, whilst the bassist's backing vocals are a delight to hear live.

On a personal note, I was a little sad that "I Can't Keep This From You" was dropped from the set since Newcastle. I say this because I rate it as the best song on the album and a top ten hit in waiting, and I was really curious to anticipate if the audience would react to it with the same enthusiasm that I have for the song. I can hardly be disappointed, though, this really was some concert. Also on a personal note, I was thrilled to have Elton sign my ticket (I'd intended to bring my Peachtree Road cover for signing, but left it in the bloody car!), and tonight I got a Davey Johnson plectrum for the first time!

As the house-lights returned at the end of the show, I heard two local lads who'd just attended their first Elton gig sharing their thoughts. "He's something special", commented one. "You won't hear that kind of quality from anyone else". As assessment's go, I guess that's pretty much spot on.

Following is the complete setlist of the Sheffield show on December 9, 2004:

• Weight Of The World
  
• Porch Swing In Tupelo
  
• Answer In The Sky
  
• Turn The Lights Out When You Leave
  
• My Elusive Drug
  
• They Call Her The Cat
  
• Freaks In Love
  
• All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful)
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Daniel
  
• Take Me To The Pilot
  
• Rocket Man
  
• I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Are You Ready For Love
  
• Philadelhia Freedom
  
• Border Song
  
• Levon
  
• Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  
• I'm Still Standing
  
• The Bitch Is Back
  
  
• Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance)
  
• Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
  
  
• Your Song

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